Who forgot to buy the toilet paper?
by justcallmesmitty
Summary: [Personal Archives] [Perfect Wings One-shot] AU / Michael and Maria were supposed to do the shopping for the week - but they forgot.


**From the archives:** Yes, I located my stash of Roswell fanfic while I was at my parents' home over the holidays this year. Aside from a few spelling corrections, I'm publishing them without major editing. Yes, I was a much different writer when I initially wrote and published these (15+ years ago, which is mind-boggling to me). Please be kind to the version of me that wrote these.

**Disclaimer:** Didn't own it then. Don't own it now. _Roswell_ and its characters (still, I assume) belong to Warner Brothers.

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><p>"Let's see... week-old macaroni and cheese... month-old pizza... purple and pink scrambled eggs... There is nothing in this house to eat!"<p>

"What was that, Maria? I thought I heard you talking in here."

Maria grumbled, "Nothing really."

She paused and then added, "Whose turn was it to go shopping this week?"

Liz looked puzzled. She sighed.

"Maria, I thought that it was your and Michael's week."

"We have next week. Or so I thought..."

"Well, we'll just have to check the chart."

Liz walked over to the "chart" posted on the refrigerator door.

"Let's see... Max and I get to clean the house... Alex and Isabel have dish duty... That leaves you and Michael with the shopping, Maria. Sorry."

Maria moaned sarcastically, "It's okay. I'll go get Mr. Barfbag and we'll be on our happy, little way to 'free-sample' city."

The girls shared a quick laugh before Maria went off to find the one person who took the brunt of her anger.

The blonde ventured up the stairs and knocked on the door from which loud, blaring music could be heard emanating from the other side.

"Hey Dorkbutt! Come on! It's our week to go to the store! Let's go and get this over with!"

The door creaked open to reveal Michael standing there rather disheveled and paint-splattered in appearance.

"Why can't you just go alone, Cheesebreath? You don't need me."

"Technically, no... but I do need someone to talk to. Come on."

Maria's bottom lip was outstretched to its limit. Being a daddy's girl had helped her to pick up a few tricks to begging.

Michael's stubborn eyes greeted her, however.

"Please? I need someone to help me carry home the food because food for six people is a lot of food. You have to come anyway. It's 'our' job."

Michael groaned, "Fine, but you better not try anything, DeLuca."

He shut the door to get ready for the adventure to the store.

His last words, however, perplexed Maria. It was the first time that he had called her by one of her real names. She figured that he was either up to something or that he was ill.

Shrugging it off, Maria went downstairs to see if there were any specials in the newspaper.

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><p>Three hours later, Maria and Michael stepped back into the place that they had come to call "home".<p>

After dropping off and unloading the groceries in the kitchen, both walked up the stairwell to their rooms.

Maria went into her room to find an object missing from her nightstand.

She bolted out of her room and into the hallway, stopping to knock on Michael's door.

When she received no answer, she barged right it. In was faily simple because the only doors with locks on them were the front door and the bathroom doors.

"Michael... Have you seen my - "

She stopped short in her tracks as well as her speech when she saw what Michael was frantically trying to cover up.

"Maria!"

"Oh my... Wow."

Her voice only embellished the stun that was embedded into her face.

"You think that it's good?"

"I think it's... think it's... Wow. I can't find the words to describe it."

"I'm impressed. Maria DeLuca is speechless."

Michael was smirking as Maria playfully hit him on the shoulder.

On an easel in front of her was an acrylic painting of a girl sleeping and a dog loyally waiting for its master to awaken. It was a blending of two times into a believable reality.

"What's it for? A class?"

"Um... yeah. You could say that."

Michael stammered.

"It's supposed to be a combination of two photographs into one painting."

"Where did you get that picture?"

"Of what?"

"Of me sleeping?"

"I took it last week when you had fallen asleep on the couch. I hope you don't mind..."

Maria noticed that Michael looked a bit uncomfortable waiting for her reply.

"No, it's fine. Thank you."

"For what?"

Michael just stared at her as if not knowing what to expect.

"For just... I don't know... Bringing something dead back to life. It's like getting to live my childhood over again."

He now sat rigid.

"You're welcome."

A moment of silence passed between them.

"Uh... Michael?"

He looked up, startled.

"Huh?"

"Can I have the picture of my dog back please?"

Maria noticed his embarrassment for the second time.

"Oh. Sure."

Retrieving the picture, he returned it to its rightful owner.

"Thanks."

Another moment of silence ensued.

"I'll be going now."

Michael ran his hands through his hair.

"Yeah. I mean... I have to let this dry and get it over to the school."

"Okay. I'll see you later, then."

"Yeah. See you."

Maria shut the door behind her as Michael sighed and fell backwards onto the bed trying to decide what he was going to do with the crazy blonde who lived down the hall.

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><p>Maria plopped down on her bed and began to sort some things out. She knew that Michael was certainly a mysteriously, weird guy, but that there was something else there that drew her to him.<p>

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Maria?"

Sitting up, Maria replied,

"What is it, Liz?"

Liz's head poked through the doorway.

"Nothing much. I was just wanting to know who forgot the toilet paper."

Maria collapsed back onto her bed and sighed. Michael was going to get it.


End file.
